Legal Question in Business Law in Maryland

Verbal contracts

My boyfriend and a heating and air contractor had a verbal agreement that the contractor would install a furnace for the fee that the insurance company would pay him. After the work was done he gave him a bill which he refuse to pay because of the verbal agreement that was made. The contractor is now threating to take him to court. What action can my boyfriend take against the contractor for breach of contract? The contractor has sent us several nasty letters saying what bad people we are and has phoned us several times. What can we do legally to put an end to this?

Can we take him to court? PLEASE HELP

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Asked on 7/27/99, 5:14 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Sher Wagshal and Sher

Re: Verbal contracts

There's an old saying that verbal contracts are not worth the paper they're printed on--and this is a classic example of why. However, at least in this case your boyfriend has the upper hand. There's no reason for him to take the contractor to court--quite the other way around. The contractor will be suing your boyfriend for the amount he's trying to collect, and your boyfriend's defense will be that he's already received full payment in the form of the insurance money. But without anything in writing, it will be his word against yours.

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Answered on 7/29/99, 4:23 pm


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